miller



(No Model.)

H. S. MILLER,

WATER GLOSET GISTERN.

Patented June 26, 1888.

// IIIII Ntra STATES? l ATBNT Orifice.

HARRISON S. MILLER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES XV.MEIKEL, OF SAME PLACE.

ETv CISTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,130, dated June 26,1888.

Application filed October le, 1887.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, HARRIsoN S. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water- Closet Gisterns, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to'an improvement in the means for discharging thewater from the 1o cistern to the closet-bowl in that class ofwatercloset cisterns which are arranged to hold suf-- icient water foronce lushing the bowl.

The object of my improvement is to prevent the wastage of Water incidentto the leakage of ordinary valves, to avoid the necessity of theoperator holding the valve open during the dis` charge of the water fromthe eistern, and to avoid the noi'se ofregurgitation at the end of thedischarge, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. Y

Figure l represents a central vertical section showing the position ofthe parts when at rest and the eistern charged. Fig. 2 represents a z5like section showing the position ol" the parts at the commencementofthe discharge. Fig. 3 represents a like section showing the parts inthe same position as in Fig. l and the course taken by the water duringthe remain- 3o der of the discharge.

'Ihediseharge-pipe consists ofa central tubular portion, A, havingsurrounding its base an annular cup, B, partly filled with mercury, c.The upper end ofthe tubular portion A is pro vided with narrow externalribs, d d, which serve as guides to hold the valve concentric with thetube. The lower end of portion A extends through the bottom ot' thecistern O,

and is coupled in the ordinary manner to the 4o pipe connecting thecistern with the closetbowl. (Not shown.)

The valve consists of air inner tube, e, adapted to tit loosely over theguides d d, leaving an annular space, j, between the tubes e and A,andan outer tube, j', of larger diameter than tube e. The upper ends oftubes e and f are secured eoneentrieally to a cap, h, thus closing thatend and leaving an annular space, i, between the two tubes. The lowerends of Serial No. 252,600. (No model.)

both tubes are open, and they are inverted 5o over the discharge-pipe,the lower edge of tube e dipping into the mercury c and resting on thebottom of cup B, thus sustaining thelower edge of tube f a shortdistance above the bottom of the cistern. Communication is establishedbetween the interiors of tubes e and f through a series of openings, itk, through the sides of tube c at the upper end.

Pis a small tubc,open at both ends, arranged along tube/'on the outside.Its Lipper end 6o communicates with the interior of tubef and its lowerend extends a little below the top of the disehargepipe A. Pivoted to asuitable support on the upper edge ot the cistern is a lever, L, one endof wliiclris attached to the valve, and the other end is provided with achain or cord, m, which extends to the closet. Pivoted to the fulcrum ofthe lever is a tilting counterpoise,`T, arranged to engage the leveralternately on opposite sides ol' the`center.

O is a ball-cock arranged to control the snpply of water tothe cstern inthe usual wellknown manner.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being at rest andthe cistern filled with water toa point considerably above the top ofthedischarge-pipe, as shown in Fig. 1, the operator pulls Aon cord m andraises the valve until the lower edge of tube e is raised above thesurface of the mercury in cup B. So The rst movement of the lever tiltsthe connterpoise T toward the outer end of the lever, and thecounterpoise operates to insure thesufticient movement ofthe lever and.to hold the valve suspended when the cord is released. The water at onceflows under the edge of tube e and up along and down over the top of thetube Ato the bowl. The column of water fall ing down the dischargetubecauses a partial vacuum to be formed in the upper parts of 9o tubes eand f, and the pressure of the atmosphere overbalances the counterpoiseT and forces the valve toits seat in the mercury-cup B, where it is heldby the counterpoise tilting inward. Thiscuts off the flowof water underthe lower edge of tube e; but a siphon is tlins formed having thedischarge-pipe and the up per part of tube e for its longer leg and thespacci between the tubes e andflor its shorter leg, and the Watercontinues to flow until the surface ofthe Water in the eistern falls tothe lower end of tube P, when air enters through said tube to the bendin the siphon and the iow stops. Y

It will be observed that the valve has been seated for some time whenthe flow of Water ceases in such a manner that no leakage is liable tooccur through thewearing ofthe parts, and that no air is admitted to thedischargepipe until the dow of Water through the short leg ofthe siphonhas ceased; consequently there is neither a sudden shock nor anyregurgitations in the pipe when the dow of Water ceases. It has beenfound in practice that after the valve has fallen to its seat themercury is at first raised by the action of the siphon from cup B intothe spaeej, and it is essential that the top of tube A be high enoughabove the cup to preventthe overflow ofthe mercury into the tube untilan equilibrium is established.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a water-closet eistern, the combinationof the discharge-pipe arranged to project above the bottom ofthecistern7 the annular cup surrounding the base of said discharge-pipe,the mercury seal in said cup, and the tubular valve having double walls,the inner one of which enters at one end the annular cup and hasopenings at the other end communicating with the space between theWalls, all arranged to co-operate substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. In a watercloset cistern, the combination of thedischargepipearranged to project above the bottom ofthe cistern, theannular cup surrounding said discharge-pipe, the mercury seal in saidcup, the tubular valve having double walls, the inner one of whichenters at one end the annular en p and has openings at the other endcommunicatine,` with the space between the Walls, and the tube extendingalong the outer wall of the valve, open at both ends, and connecting theinterior ofthe Valve near its upper end with the exterior near its lowerend, all arranged to cooperate substantially as and for the purposespecified.

HARRISON S. MILLER. TWitnesses:

H. P. HOOD, V. M. Hoon.

